1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to capturing a video signal at one location and transmitting that signal to another location over telephone lines, cellular, radio and other telemetric frequencies.
Advances in the information highway promotes the United States as a world leader in the computer, video and broadcast industries. This invention adds to that information highway.
Transmission of a real time video signal from a remote location to a base location is conventionally done by one of two methods: Microwave or satellite. Equipment associated with these methods is extremely expensive and has significant limitations. The large amount of equipment necessary for satellite technology for remote transmission requires that the equipment be installed in trucks having an integral satellite dish. The signal is received from the video camera, beamed to the satellite, and then beamed to the base location for broadcast. The enormous amount of equipment and the sophisticated technology required makes satellite transmission extremely expensive and impractical for many applications. Satellite transmission does, however, send real time broadcast quality signals. The costs associated with satellite transmission are justifiable for large events such as sporting events where transmission could be made from a single location over a sustained period of time. It is not practical, however, for coverage such as news coverage where short segments from many different locations are necessary. An example would be in covering a natural disaster. Speed in obtaining and broadcasting video footage is a competitive requirement in news gathering situations.
The required set up time and inaccessibility of the satellite truck are significant additional limitations to satellite type transmission.
Microwave transmission technology overcomes some of the limitations of satellite technology but has several additional limitations of its own. Microwave transmission systems are less expensive and require less equipment. With a microwave system, a video signal is obtained and transmitted from the remote location at microwave frequencies from a vehicle mounted transmitting antenna to a base antenna for broadcast.
Difficulties have been encountered using this technology in aligning the antenna on the vehicle with the base antenna. Obstructions between the transmitting antenna and the base antenna may also prevent passage of the signal. Setup limitations also inhibit the use of microwave transmission systems in obtaining short segments of video at one location, transmission of that signal, moving to another location, transmission, movement, etc. Transmission is also limited to accessibility of the vehicle to the location of the subject matter.
The limitations of satellite and microwave technology have forced video broadcasters to devise alternative means of transmission, which may include: Setting up a remote microwave or satellite transmission post and transporting segments on video tape to it from multiple remote locations. More often, broadcasters capture video segments on tape and then manually transport those tapes back to the station as quickly as possible for broadcast.
With the establishment and advancements in cellular technology, television broadcasters have begun sending teams into remote locations for reports transmitted via cellular telephone. Cellular technology provides the ability to access a location and immediately report information back to the station. This use of cellular telephones transmits voice messages only and excludes video transmission altogether. Cellular technology has also been used to transmit data such as facsimile and computer file transmissions from one location to another. Cellular telephones have been quick to transmit data received from a facsimile machine or computer having a modem to a second fax machine or computer. Cellular combined with computer technology has never been used, however, to transmit a broadcast quality video signal.
A need, therefore, exists in the art for a highly portable, cost-effective method and apparatus for capturing and transmission of broadcast quality video from a remote location to a base location. A need also exists for a capture and transmission apparatus over cellular, land lines, or radio or other frequencies. Additionally, with the current FCC limitations regarding cellular transmissions from airborne craft an additional need is evidenced for video over the radio or other telemetric frequencies.